5:45 p.m. - 2005-12-17
travel tips
I have a little tip for everyone doing any travelling this holiday season. Gosh, it's getting close to Chritmas...I hope I'm not too late.
Please do not attempt to board the plane with anything resembling the following: A "Carry one" which is actually a giant suitcase. A Large, filled-to-the-brim shopping bag. A fully stuffed backpack. A purse big enough to fit your 8 year old in. Gigantic puffy down jackets when you are travelling SOUTH.
Kevin and I were on a flight a couple of weeks ago that became dangerously delayed (we only had an hour to catch our connection!) because of a bunch of incredibly self centered people who decided to bring their entire lives onto the Boeing 757 travelling to Charleston and because of the seemingly blind U.S. Air staff who did not take note of the numerous offenses. The second half of people boarding the plane had to last-minute check EVERYTHING that did not fit under the seat, as the first half of people boarding took up ALL of the room in the overhead compartments.
Amazingly, after we got on the plane and an announcement had been made that all luggage had to be given to the luggage people, due to there being no more room in the overhead compartments, a man who had been on the plane for a while and was probably one of the offenders who brought numerous gigantic suitcases, stood up, took his wife's stupid gigantic shopping bag and proceeded to try to CRAM it into the already stuffed compartment.
Kevin and I were both incredibly annoyed and incredibly smug, each of us carrying only a half full, medium sized backpack, (OK, I also had a purse large enough to hold my mascara and a stick of gum) as everyone else in line had to get in another line to give the staff their stuff. We passed them by, wanting to stick our tongues out and say "nah-nah" and also kick them in the shins.
Our flight took off about 45 minutes late and we barely made it onto our connecting flight.
I make this public service announcement both to remind you to be courteous to your fellow travellers and to give you a heads up that you might want to tell whoever is picking you up at the airport that you might be late.
